Summer League Game 3 Preview & Chat

In their second game of the Las Vegas Summer League, the Lakers dominated a talented Portland Trailblazers squad to secure their first summer league victory in almost two years. Tonight they will face the Clippers who have some young talent on their roster including the #25 overall pick in Reggie Bullock.

Excellent ball movement along with defensive intensity has been the main takeaway from the Lakers summer league team this year. All the guys on the roster have seemingly bought in to Dan D’Antoni’s philosophy, and have refrained from a me-first attitude for the sake of impressing the Lakers coaching staff and management.

For some, the approach of being unselfish has worked. Guys like Robert Sacre, Marcus Landry, and Michael Snaer have stood out the most in that aspect. Sacre has been primarily active defensively, anchoring the interior and using his energy to protect the paint. Landry has been the most intriguing player on the roster. He’s shown a wide variety of skills that make him a likely candidate to get an invite to camp. His ability to shoot, defend, and perhaps even play the power-forward position all make him an attractive fit in a system like D’Antoni’s. As for Snaer, his shooting, paired with his ability to score and create for others in the pick-and-roll makes him a guy that I could see the Lakers taking a look at for added depth at the wing positions.

Other guys like Chris Douglas-Roberts and Josh Selby haven’t had much success so far in summer league, and that possibly could be attributed to the systematic fashion in which the Lakers are playing. CDR has been fairly passive through two games, opting to stand in the corner or wing and shoot three-pointers. At times his penetration is effective at drawing fouls, but for the most part it seems that he is a non-factor largely due to being un-involved. Josh Selby has been fairly disappointing as a result of his inability to run the point-guard position and make proper decisions off the dribble. As long as he fails to show teams he can’t play that position, he’ll have a tough time making a roster, and he’s slowly placing himself in that unfortunate predicament.

Regarding the matchup itself, it’s key not to pay attention to the result, but recognizing what guys out there look like they could fit on the final roster. Yes it’s the Clippers, but it’s also the summer. Summer league isn’t about wins and losses (though it’s being emphasized more now). Sit back and enjoy some Lakers basketball. One of these guys could be a Laker on opening night, the question is, who?

Ryan Cole

3 responses to Summer League Game 3 Preview & Chat

Snaer was a beast in college. If he can string together a few more good games he indeed could get a decent look at camp. Also its good to know that Sac can do more than just dance.CDR is playing his way back into the D-league. For the Clips, Bullock has looked as good as advertised.